When you combine the 99th ranked team in total defense yards allowed and the 103rd best scoring offense in the Nation what do you get? If you guessed a team that won a bowl game then you win a cookie. Iowa State gave up a lot of yards last year but ultimately did a good job keeping the other team out of the end zone as they ranked #2 in the conference (behind Nebraska) with a 66% opponent red zone conversion percentage. Iowa State has some key players back from last year but their schedule is significantly tougher with the addition of Utah, Oklahoma and Texas in back-to-back-to-back games(and Nebraska looking for revenge). We reached out to Mark Kieffer of the SB Nation blog Clone Chronicles to see what he thought about Iowa State's chances in 2010.

What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the Cyclones?

Strengths: Offensive Line and Running Backs. Alexander Robinson is the biggest name in the Big 12 you may have never heard of. The guy put up nearly 1200 yards rushing last year, and did so playing a majority of the season with a groin injury.

Weaknesses: The defensive front seven. ISU is replacing their entire starting linebacking corps, and 3 starters on their defensive line too. They are going to make a talented secondary look very mediocre, as I'd expect them having problems rushing the QB, and tackling RBs in the backfield. There are two schools of thought here regarding the defensive front seven: on one hand, there's very little experience and this group will struggle greatly. On the other hand, the front seven last year was the worst in the Big 12, so how bad could it be replacing almost all of them? . I'm not sure what camp I'm in yet.

Which game on the schedule do you want to win more than any other?

K-State. I know a lot of fans will say Nebraska because this may be the last time we're playing them, but beating them in Lincoln last year (lucky or not) was pretty sweet. With K-State, I hate their team, and do not enjoy their fans either. Outside of a few glory years, they are very similar to ISU, yet those fans have this entitlement and believe that their team has some great tradition or elite quality to them. Not the case at all. On paper, these teams are even, we lost to them in the crappiest way possible last year, so it's time to beat them this year.

What team on the schedule do you fear the most?

This is a tough one. ISU plays at Iowa, at Oklahoma, and at Texas this year, along with some others. I've seen ISU pull off miracles before against Iowa, so it doesn't fear me. Oklahoma and Texas are much better, obviously, but we're expected to lose, so it's hard to really fear those games too. It may sound silly, but it might be the opener against Northern Illinois, because ISU has the most the lose. People seem to think Northern Illinois is better than Iowa State, and losing to them on the first game of the year, a Thursday night game at that, would be a horrible way to start the season. Those 3 games I mentioned above, along with Utah and Nebraska are expected losses. Win any of those, great. Lose any of them, oh well, it was expected.

Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?

I'd say Alex Alvarez or Ben Lamaak. Both guys are on the offensive line, and naturally the O-Line gets talked about the least. These guys are big reasons why the unit was so good last year. I think the WR corps has the chance to produce some solid players, but it's hard to tell who will emerge from that group. There's a lot of athletic ability, but they have not produced to this point.

Who is the best offensive player on the team?

Alexander Robinson. Last year, he was our offense. As mentioned before, he was banged up last year. When he was healthy, the team clicked. When he was slowed, the offense slowed. The guy is explosive, can read which hole to run in, and can catch passes consistently out of the backfield.

Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?

David Sims, the strong safety. The Big 12 coaches named him as Defensive Newcomer of the Year (He was a JUCO). He had 88 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 5 picks in 2010. Leonard Johnson, a CB is another name. He has the potential to really be a shutdown corner, and we saw offenses last year throw away from him. The guy started as a true freshmen, and is now entering his junior year. He does a lot of things that doesn't always show up on the stat sheet, like put on a hard hit, making a nice tackle, or covering his receiver well and forcing the QB to look elsewhere.

What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?

QB Austen Arnaud. The guy has the ability to be good, but has been a bit of a disappointment. In the locker room he is the unquestioned leader of this team and his teammates respect him. His sophomore year, he had over 400 pass attempts, completed just over 61% of his passes, and threw 15 TDs and 10 picks. Last year, he had just over 300 pass attempts, completed only 58% of his passes, threw 14 TDs and 13 picks. The guy has been the starter for 3 years, and is entering his senior year. This is his last chance to show what he's got. From watching him, he's capable of more, but just hasn't done it. ISU fans are expecting big things from Arnaud if they want to see ISU survive this monster of a schedule.

Who is the top newcomer that can make an impact this year?

Freshmen RB Shontrelle Johnson. The guy had an offer from Florida, but chose to go to ISU. He's a 3 star recruit, but posses a lot of the same abilities as current RB Alexander Robinson. Most think Johnson is going to be the #2 guy, and will be able to spell Robinson to keep him fresh. With Robinson being slowed by injuries each of the past two seasons, having another guy in there with a similar skill set should help keep the Cyclones going, and hopefully help an overworked Robinson reduce his risk of injury

With the Big 12 losing Nebraska and Colorado would you like to see them stand pat at 10 teams or add two more teams?

I have an Econ degree, so I'm always thinking the business side of things. As long as the current TV deals are in place, I'm fine with having 10 teams. It means more money for ISU (having to split fixed amt 10 ways instead of 12). Now when the current deals expire, if adding in 2 teams helps sweeten the pot, then I'm for it. BYU, Boise State, and Arkansas are teams I wouldn't mind see in the conference.

Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?

ISU has one of the hardest schedules in all of college football this year, so my expectations are low. I'm thinking a 4 or 5 win season is likely. But honestly I could see anywhere from 3 to 7 wins this year. It all depends if they can get things going early, and how they respond to the stretch of Utah, @ Oklahoma, @ Texas. If that stretch kills the team spirit, I could seem them losing to Kansas and Colorado, games that I would consider toss-ups at this point.

I think a successful season is getting through this schedule respectibly. Not getting blown out too bad, and playing hard from game 1 right down to game 12. If ISU was in it with a majority of their games, I could see most ISU fans being OK with however the record shakes down. If ISU is able to get to 6 wins, and back to a bowl game, there will be no complaints out of Ames. Much easier said than done though. If their spirit is destroyed and they mail it in the second half of the season, people will be counting down for Fred Hoiberg's debut as Men's Basketball Coach.

Thanks to Mark for answering our questions and be sure to check out the SB nation Iowa State blog Clone Chronicles. You can also follow them on twitter @CloneChronicles.

1 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Dude great job! Perfect preview, but the way you described K-State fans is a little harsh. We actually fill our stadium, our stadium has been labeled as one of the loudest little stadiums in the nation, and we DID have a tremendous run from 93-05 (well 03 at least). That doesn't make us a legit all-time history school, but it does put us higher than Iowa State, whom has never played for the big 12 title (even though they should have in 04,05, and 06). This is going to be a great game, as both teams are evenly matched. Arnaud and Robinson are studs. Daniel Thomas is easily the best player for K-State, but we also have William Powell who has turned heads in his limited time, not to mention 3 stud recievers in Chris Harper, Broderick Smith, and Aubry Quarles. Last season our wideouts couldn't catch a watermelon, and they were undersized. Not this year. Its going to be a great game, good luck...

Also my only bad blood with ISU fans came from last year. You guys are a lot classier, for the most part, then my fellow cats fans, I'll admit that. But one guy came up to me, and said "good luck!" I said thanks you too, and he goes "because your going to f**king need it, because KSU sucks, this is going to be a blowout" and we went on to win with a QB with a torn knee, and shoulder...EMAW

also next week check out my preview for the ksu isu game on www.wildcatvictory.com, would love to hear what I messed up, haha.

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